Fixture for terminal-boxes.



No. `745,494. PATBNTED DEC. 1, 1903.

H. A. HOAGLAND.

FIXTURE POR TET MIN'AL BOXES.

APPLIOATION PILID JUNE 29,1903.-

no mmm..

UNTTED STATES HARRY A. HOAGLAND,

Patented December 1, 1903,

OF CHCAGO, lLLiNOIS.

FIXTURE FOR TERMBNALBXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,494, dated:December l, 1903. Application tiled (lune Z9, 1903. Serial No. 163,518.(No model) To all whom may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY A. HOAGLAND, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of illinois, have invented ful improvements in Fixtures forTerminal- Boxes; and 1 hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to lixtures for terminal-boxes, especially adaptedforinterior electric wiring.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a fixture adapted foruse in conjunction with the ordinary terminal-box of the knock out typecommonly in' use which will overcome Various obj ections now incident tothe use of such boxes.

In the present practice or" interior Wiring the terminal-boxes areplaced in position before the plastering or tilingis applied to thewalls or ceilings, and it sometimes happens that the open face of thebox and the plaster do not aline, the box being tilted in one directionor another with reference to the wallsurface. Consequentlylightbracketsor chandeliers attached to said outlet-box in the ordinary manner arenot plumb or at right angles to the wall-surface. This difdculty Ipropose to overcome in my present invention by providing a fixtureadapted for connection to the ordinary outlet or terminal box, onemember whereof is universally movable relative to the box, said movablemember being arranged to receive and support the bracket or chandelierto be connected through the terminal-box.

Another objectionable feature incident to the use of the ordinaryterminal or outlet box is that in the use of ordinary iixtures inconjunction therewith it is necessary to use an insulating-joint betweenthe bracket or chandelier and the supportingfixture part secured to theterminal-box. This difculty I also overcome in the use of my inventionby insulating the movable member of my improved fixture from itssurrounding supports, thereby making unnecessary the usualinsulatingjoint.

Other and further objects of my present invention will become apparentto those skilled certain new and use-' in the art from the followingdescription and the appended claims.

1n the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section with parts inelevation of a terminal-box and its attachments embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail illustrating a modified form oi' attachment of my' improvedfixture to the terminal-box.

Throughout the drawings like numerals of reference refer to like parts.

1n the drawings, 5 indicates generally a terminal-box of usualconstruction, having at its top a central perforation 6 and a suitablenumber of thin portions or knock-outs 7, adapted to be broken out toafford ingress to the electric-circuit wires. Suitable similarlyweakenedportions are provided in the sides of the box at 8 S for a like purpose.

9 indicates a wire-conduit in open communication with the interior ofthe box, and 10 10 indicate insulated electric wires entering the boxthrough the conduit 9 and passing therefrom into the interior of thehollow bracket or chandelier 11, supported from the box in the manner tobe described.

The movable member of my improved fixture comprises a bail 12, havingprojecting therefrom a threaded stud or neck 13, arranged to receive acoupling 14, which engages the screw-threaded upper extremity of thebracket or chandelier 11 and carries the bracket or chandelier.

15 indicates a covering of insulation applied to the ball 12 and aportion of its neck 13 and suitably fixed thereto. Theinsulating-coating may, if desired, be of molded fiber Jformed intosemispherical portions and suitably cemented or otherwise intimatelyattached to the ball and its neck 13, or the insulation may be of hardrubber intimately applied by vulcanizing, or it may be of any othersuitable hard insulating material secured to the ball in any desiredmanner.

1n the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 the ball, with its insulation,is arranged to tit into the aperture 6, formed in the top of the box,and is supported therein by means of a socket-plate 16. The cup-shapedportion of the socket-plate 16 is open at its top, as indicated at 17,said opening being of greater diameter than the width of the insulatedpor- IOO tion ot the neck 13 of the movable fixture I member, so as topermit the latter to pass therethrough and have room for play in anj7direction. It will be noted that the insulation extends sufficiently fardown the neck 13 to prevent contact between said neck and the socketwhen the neck is moved to its limit of movement within the aperture 17.Bolts 18, passing` through ears 16a, projecting from the socket-plate,are threaded into the top of the box to afford means for clamping thesocket-plate tightly upon the ball and pressing the latter into itsaperture 6.

2O indicates a canopysecured tothe bracket or chandelier 11 and coveringthe box 8 and the fixtures inclosed therein. It will be understood thatthe canopy 2O is arranged out of electrical contact with the box 8 inany convenient manner.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated a modification of my ratified invention wherebyit is adapted for use in conjunction with boxes having no centralaperture corresponding` with the aperture (3 in Fig. 1. In said Fig. 3,5 indicates the top of a knock-out box, and 6 a plate bearing thereonand provided with a cent-ral depression 6. 12 indicates the smallportion of the movable fixture, and 15 its insulation, arranged in amanner similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1. 16 indicates a cup-shapedsocket-plate identical with that illustrated in Fig. 1, and 1S indicatesbolts passing through the socket-plate 16, bearing-plate 0, and into thetop 5" of the box, so as to secure all of said parte together.

The utility of myinvention is primarily as follows: It is apparent thatin assembling the device before the screws 18 are tightened to firmlyiix the ball in position in its socket said ball may be adjusted to moveits stem or neck 13 in any direction, so' that the bracket or chandelier11, secured to said stem, may be adjusted to any angle with reference tothe plane of the mouth of the box. Consequently should a box be set atany angle to the plane of the plastering the bracket may be applied tothe ball-fixture while the latter is loosely held by reason of thelooseness of the screws 13. In such instance the weight of the bracketor chandelier 11 serves to bring the fixture to plumb or verticalposition irrespective of the distorted angular arrangel ment of the box.The screws 18 being thereupon tightened, the ball is tightly clamped lbetween the plate 16 and the edges of the aperture 6, so that it isxedly retained against I movement from its proper position. Again,

it will be apparent that the canopy 2O being disposed out of electricalcontact with the box 8 and the movable member of the fixture beingcompletely insulated from its surrounding supports by the coating 15perfect insu- I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is

1. In combination, a terminal-box for interior electrical wiring, asocket member carried by the box, and provided with an aperture, a ballmember, interlitting with said socket member, a bracket or chandelierconnected with the ball member, said connection being made through theaperture to the socket member, and insulation completelysurrounding theball member and extending through the aperture in the socket member.

2. The combination with a terminal-box for interior electric wiring, anda bracket or chandelier to be connected to said box, of a ball member,bearing on one side against said box and at its other side connectedwith the bracket or chandelier, a socket member, embracing said ballmember, provided with an aperture through which the connection of theball member and the bracket or chandelier member passes, insulationcompletely surrounding the ball member and extending through the openingin the socket member, and bolts passing through said socket member intothe box for clamping the socket member and the insulated ball member infixed relation to the box.

3. In combination with a conduit terminalbox 5, and a bracket orchandelier 11, screw-- threaded at its upper end, a fixture for securingthe bracket to the box comprising a movable member having a ball 12 andascrewthreaded neck 13, a coupling 141- connecting the neck 13 and thethreaded end of the bracket or chandelier 11, an insulating-coating 15covering the ball, and insulating the same from its support, a socketmember 1G partiallyencompassing the ball, and provided with an aperture17 through which the insulated stem or neck of said ball projects, andbolts 18, arranged to secure said socket member to the box 5, tosecurely clamp the ball between the socket member and the box 5.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of: two witnesses.

HARRY A. HOAGLAND.

Witnesses: i

Foi-mn BAIN, MARY F. ALLEN.

chandelier l1 from IIO

